Electrode catheters have been in common use in medical practice for many years. They are used to stimulate and map electrical activity in the heart and to ablate sites of aberrant electrical activity. Depending on the procedure, the catheter may be used with or without irrigation, that is, with or without fluid, e.g., saline, delivered to a distal section of the catheter to irrigate a tissue target site. Where irrigation is desired, a conventional control handle of a catheter may be used with a side arm connected to a luer hub in fluid communication with a fluid source, where the side arm extends into the control handle. To that end, housing of the control handle has an opening or hole for the side arm. Where irrigation is not desired, the housing of a suitable control handle may be identical except for the hole. But, despite the close structural similarity of these two types of control handles, two sets of capital tool molds are needed in the manufacture of these handles, with each type requiring independent qualifications and stocking of inventory. The requirement for separate parts places additional burden on the supply chain because both configurations are kept as safety stock as insurance against marketing forecast revisions.
Using handle housings with uncovered holes for constructing either nonirrigated and irrigated catheters is possible but there are shortcomings. Functionally, an uncovered hole can increase the risk of contamination, damage and/or failure of electronics and components internal the control handle. Aesthetically, an uncovered hole presents an undesirable appearance of an unfinished or damaged product.
Accordingly, there is a desire for a medical device control handle that can be assembled and configured for multiple uses, including irrigated and nonirrigated catheter-based procedures. A configurable handle would allow a single part number to serve multiple roles and would require configuration only at the time of assembly, thereby reducing part number proliferation and inventory carrying costs.